Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-01-06
TEACHERS IN SESSION.
The Thirty.First Annual Session Just
Held mt Des Moines.

December 90 was the time appointed
for the meeting of the State Teachers
Association. and for several days prior to
that date, members of the organization
continued to arrive at the capital The
chief work of the first day was perform.
ed by the Educational Council which
met at 10 o'clock, q. m, in the parlors
of the Capital City Hotel, with DR.. j. L.
Pickard, of Iowa City, in the chair
President Akers being detained by i'll
ness. The first order of business called
was the report of the committee on ac-
ademies and high schools, their chairman,
Professor w. j. Young, of Davenport,
presenting the following brief report up
on the deed for academies:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: Your committee to
whom was re-committed the ,aper on
the Academy, its need and place in our
educational system, beg leave to report
that they have reconsidered the subject
with some care. and that in view of the
great Importance Of the most complete
educational provisions possible for the
youth of our commonwealth, in branches
above those of the common school, they
heartily endorse the establishment of
! academies in all localities of the State
where the advantages of high schools are
not available to the pupils thereof, or
wherever they can be successfully main
| tanned. As to ways and means, the spec
| ial point OF re-commitment, your com.
| mittee have no Others to suggest than
| those resorted to and employed hitherto,
l II MI Mt he i,,,A tIn 4,
ment and maintenance of such instim
tons of learning. in various parts of our
country, where they have done so much
| to advance the cause of education and
sound scholarship. viz: donations. contri.
buttons, requests and the usual tuition
fees. II. r. Edison, j. B. Young, M. F.
Avrv, W. E. Parker.
Prof, Edison spoke briefly upon the
need for such institutions as supplement
ing the colleges of the State. but ex
pressed the firm conviction that when
the need was felt men would rise up and
provide the means. After some discus.
sion the report was adopted Professor
Seerly. of the State Normal School, read
an able paper upon Teaching Langua
yes in the Common Schools" 1t was an
exceedingly strong paper and was given
a cordial reception, but being strictly
technical, hardly comes within the scope
of newspaper. Adjournment was then
taken for dinner.
Promptly at o'clock the council was
again called to order by D. Packard, who
announced with regret that Supt. Akers
was still unable to be with them. The
Doctor then presented report on behalf
of the committee on State certificates
and diplomas. The report was adopted
without change.
The Association proper met on the |
evening Of the 2Sth, and President :
Bartlett delivered his annual ad-
dress, of which the following is but
brief Synopsis:
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
After a pleasant introduction. point I
lug to the social features of the occasion
that had brought them together and con-
graduating the teachers of Iowa upon
the good work accomplished by them
during the year just past, President
Bartlett gave brief review of the his
tory of the association and Its works.
He then spoke in a highly compliment.
tary manner of the efficiency of the Iowa
school system and of the strong influence
that system was having in bringing the
State to the very front. In speaking of
the Educational Council, he said at
will tend to ripen discussion and more
practical conclusions than are possible
from the more limited and cursory treat
ment made necessary in the general as
ISOLATION. Many intelligent and earnest
teachers are watching this experiment of
a wheel within wheel, with some con-
Germ not to say misgiving lest the gener-
al association suffer and the benefits &C
crue mostly to its thirty members 1t
Is natural that those who have discussed
at length important q .estions once
should desire to curtail or discourage any
repetition of the same in the larger
meetings, and all are anxious to hear the
strong men of the association in IT, l.
best efforts upon the living and vital
problems before u.s." He urged the i'm
portance Of looking to the future as well
rs the past in the matter of education,
and spoke at some length against max
Ing the school small plan of life in
stead OF preparation for that life, such
3 preparation as will produce citizens of
real value to the nation. The great dan
ger to this nation is not to be found in
foreign foes, but in native ignorance.
BY this element all the great Institutions
VI the country are constantly threatened
with destruction, and the danger seems
10 increase with the years. Our best Sc
curity lies in right education, in instill
ing into the susceptible minds of the
young true views of life and duty. The
only true aim for education is the devel
opment of character Children should
be taught the existence of law, and that
no good citizen will violate it, The in
.ellect should not be strengthened alone.
but the moral force should be trained in
every regard with it. Il submit that at
east as much care should be taken to Sc
cure teachers of irreproachable character.
lealthful moral influence and good hab
is, for our children as we exercise in Sc
Getting pastors for our churches. Can
my valid reason be urged why as rigid
ests should not be demanded in the one
'ase as in the other 7 And yet is not
his matter practically ignored in the
hoice of teachers generally 7 Due care
: taken that the applicant for teachers
Certificate shall possess his modicum Of /
grammer, history, etc, but
re may be drunkard, a gambler dc.
,auchee and an habitual profaner Of the
iame Of his Maker. and the examination
est-tube will never reveal these things.
n most kinds of labor, in all in which
natter alone is to be acted upon, physi- ,
al strength and tactual skill determine [
he result. Moral qualifications and |
motives hardly enter into the computa- ,
ion, but, as we have said. character is
he thing of most value and Importance
the citizen and nothing influences
haracter like character. In the profess
ion Of teaching the agent comes into
loser contact with the person with whom
'e deals, than in any other calling, there
ore it is specially needful here to en-.
nire what manner of men and women
hall be employed in this work. Far be !
! from me to depreciate the character of
he teachers now engaged in our schools.
or In no department OF human industry
10 we find truer devotion to principle. :
lorc honest work and workers than are
cen everywhere in our school rooms.
fortunately, perhaps, the loaves and the
hes are not sufficiently numerous or in
ting to tempt the merely avaricious
nun ,o;, Is,p a.. 4